Helen Lowe's Blog, page 140

About The Characters: Meet The Minor Players in “The Heir Of Night” — Armar

UK

USA

The recent unveiling of the US and UK covers for Daughter Of Blood has inspired me to spend some on-blog time with the characters from the first two books in the series—in the same way I spent time on the worldbuilding in A Geography Of Haarth.

I also decided to on the more minor players to begin with, because: “I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”

I’m starting at the beginning, with “A” and characte...

About The Characters: Meet The Minor Players in “The Heir Of Night”

UK

USA

The recent unveiling of the US and UK covers for Daughter Of Blood has inspired me to spend some on-blog time with the characters from the first two books in the series—in the same way I spent time on the worldbuilding in A Geography Of Haarth.

I also decided to on the more minor players to begin with, because: “I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”

I’m starting at the beginning, with “A” and characte...

Big Worlds On Small Screens: Rebecca Fisher Discusses “Farscape”

~ by Rebecca Fisher

Introduction:

Premiering in 1999, Farscape was practically designed to become a cult classic. It had a high concept premise, a striking visual style, inventive and off-kilter storylines, and the courage to head off the beaten path when it came to the usual sci-fi tropes.

But like most cult classics, it often seemed to be hanging by the skin of its teeth when it came to getting renewed. After a good run of four seasons, it appeared that the writers were preparing for the e...

The Tuesday Poem: “Outback”

Outback

red dirt drifts
along narrow tyre
tracks

heat shimmers
against bleached
sky

a homestead settles
into earth, its last
neighbour

a solitary chimney
– the car slows,
stops

ochre dust
filters through air
conditioning

coats everything:
clothes, shoes,
skin

the screen door sags
on its hinges, hello
echoes

through empty rooms

—

(c) Helen Lowe 2008

Published in Poetry NZ (September 2008)

—

A poem on an Australian theme, in recognition of my Australian comrades-in-poetry in the Tuesday Poem co...

Background Research

USA

UK/AU/NZ

On Saturday I talked about an eye-opening fact I’d learned from research into the Burgundian knights, undertaken as background for The Gathering Of The Lost.

It got me thinking about some of the research I did for Daughter Of Blood, including:

siege warfare generally, and also famous sieges, which morphed into battle injuries and siege-associated illnesses and their treatment from Renaissance through to World War 2, with some side reading on diseases and amputations generally, a...

A Few Favourite Mottos

Yesterday I referred, indirectly, to the research I do for my books, which is quite extensive and delves into many diverse areas.

One of those areas for The Wall Of Night series is heraldry—and of course one aspect of heraldry is mottos.

That got me thinking about “favourite” mottos, or at least taglines. Probably my favourite motto is that of the the Scottish Clan Campbell of Cawdor, which is “Be Mindful.”

I also like the Prince of Wales’ motto, “Ich Dien: I Serve”, reputed to go back to Edw...

An Eye-Opening Fact I’ve Learned From My Book Research…

USA

A friend asked me this recently and my initial response was, “What, only one?”

But it made me think I should share a few of them with you here on the blog—starting with something fun for the weekend.

UK/AU/NZ

I was doing some research into the Burgundian knights, as part of my background research forThe Gathering of the Lost, The Wall of Night Book Two, and I was awed to find out that they were trained to vault onto and off their horses in full armor!

From my reading I believe this fact w...

Tis The Friday Of Linkage Love: To SF Signal, Supernatural Underground & More…

Step up, step right up, it’s all happening around t’interwebs today, folks…

… first off, or up, I’m delighted to have had the honour of welcoming fellow Fantasy author, multi-award nominee, Stina Leicht, to the Supernatural Underground community. To read all about Stina and her new “Flintlock Fantasy” novel, Cold Iron, click on:

Stina Leicht

Introducing Stina Leicht

You may also recall that I read Stina’s Of Blood and Honey way back in 2013:

“Of Blood & Honey”

—

While on SF Signal it’s time f...

Questions Writers Get Asked: Why Do You Write? What Keeps You Going?

Why, indeed? Writing, after all, makes for a highly uncertain life, not to mention the very long time frames between milestones, as I mentioned yesterday…

Howeverz, I suspect the kernel of the matter is that “I write because I have to!” The stories keep waking me up at night until I give in and write them!

In terms of what keeps me going, I just can’t imagine stopping. But reading stories I love makes me happy, and so I’d like to think that by writing stories I love and getting them out there...

Questions Writers Get Asked: What Is The Best — And Worst — Part Of Being A Writer?

I get asked this a lot and I think the best part is that having had all of these stories and worlds and characters in my head, just about forever, committing to being a writer and actually writing them has given me the opportunity to not only share the wonder and delight, but also to connect, through my writing, with people throughout the world. How awesome is that?!

I suspect there is very little that is better, from a writer’s point of view, than when readers write to tell you they enjoy yo...